‘COPYCAT’ THREAT
Warped Luigi Mangione fans spread sinister ‘Wanted’ posters of insurance CEOs amid sick swell of SUPPORT for ‘assassin’
Thousands of donations have poured in to help the suspect in his legal battle
SUSPECTED CEO assassin Luigi Mangione has received a swell of support as sick 'Wanted' posters emerge of other insurance CEO targets.
The 26-year-old who has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has continued to get support for his action fighting back against the US healthcare system.
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It first became clear that he would become a divisive figure when cops launched a five-day manhunt and some members of the public took to social media to say they would not help in the search.
Now, a slew of 'Wanted' posters have emerged on the streets of New York featuring the names and faces of other health insurance CEOs, sparking copycat attack fears.
According to the posters, the execs are wanted for "denying medical care for corporate profit."
It urges readers to "fight back" because "when the rich rob the poor it's called business. When the poor fight back it's called violence."
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As Mangione supporters glorified his gunning down of Thompson from a point-blank range on December 4, they used three words connected to his crime on the posters.
What we know so far...
- Luigi Mangione charged with murder of Brian Thompson
- A person of interest was arrested at McDonald's with a ghost gun, silencer, and the same fake ID used by the killer at a NYC hostel
- Police found the 'assassin's' backpack at Central Park and discovered Monopoly money inside
- Photos showed the suspected killer smiling as he pulled down his face mask to flirt with a hostel receptionist
- An expert said the killer's gun malfunction may have been ‘for show’ and linked to a secret message on bullets
- The shooter milled around the entrance for minutes before sneaking up behind the CEO and unloading a barrage of bullets into his back and leg, eerie surveillance revealed
When investigators searched the scene, three bullet casings were found with the words "Deny" "Defend and "Depose" etched into them.
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These have been reprinted on the posters saying: "Health care CEOs should not feel safe. Deny. Defend. Depose."
This adopted motto of the fan club is thought to relate to tactics used against insurers who have been accused of not paying out claims.
CEO ‘assassin’ Luigi Mangione ‘plotted bombing MANHATTAN and penned sick to-do list before killing Brian Thompson’
Footage shows one of the posters with Thompson and a red cross through his face.
In the days since Thompson's death, executives in the health insurance industry have reported being threatened and harassed.
Law enforcement officers have faced similar behaviour following the suspect's arrest on Monday.
Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, an advocacy group for the city’s business community told that it's a "dangerous" time for executives in the industry.
"They don’t want to become the focal point. No CEO wants to be at the center of this debate, because they feel it makes them a target," she said.
But, it is not just posters that Mangione's support group have started making and putting up.
Who is Luigi Mangione?
MANGIONE, 26, was regarded as a beloved, clever and wealthy man by his family, friends and all who knew him.
He was born and raised in Maryland, where he was valedictorian of his high school graduating class at Gilman School in Baltimore.
He had no prior criminal history and was said to have been a model student, soccer player, and all-round athlete at high school.
One former student from the Gilman School told The U.S. Sun Mangione was "popular" and had a "big circle of friends."
"We went to the same school but didn't really have the same friends. I'm really shocked by this whole thing," the former student, who asked not to be identified, said.
"I think he played soccer, it was an all-boys school, so being a good athlete got you social currency for sure."
After, Mangione graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied computer and information science, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He also got his masters from the Ivy League school.
Mangione was reportedly a data engineer at a car company in California before moving to Hawaii.
His cousin is also Republican Maryland House of Delegates member Nino Mangione.
Websites are selling merchandise celebrating the assassination of the father-of-two including hats with "CEO Hunter" written on them with a bullseye.
Since the suspect's arrest, over a thousand donations have poured in on an online fundraiser to help Mangione's legal defence with him becoming something like a folk hero.
One person has even had a tattoo based on the security camera image released by the NYPD from the attack.
Social media comments have also gushed about his good looks while donors have written on the GiveSendGo fundraiser that it was a "justifiable homicide"
"Denying healthcare coverage to people is murder, but no one gets charged with that crime," one wrote.
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Former NYPD detective sergeant Felipe Rodriguez has slammed the glorification of Mangione and his horrific crime.
"They've made him a martyr for all the troubles people have had with their own insurance companies.
"I mean, who hasn't had run-ins with their insurance? But he's a stone-cold killer."
The NYPD's deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism said that the killing of Thompson could set off a "contagion."
Rebecca Weiner said that the murder "is already being reflected in this torrent of online vitriol that we’ve been in the midst of since last Wednesday and the lionization of the alleged perpetrator of the murder as a hero."
LAWYER SPEAKS OUT
The Ivy League-educated suspect is currently being held in Pennsylvania as prosecutors in New York hope to secure his extradition.
He was denied bail during a court appearance in Pennsylvania.
Mangione's lawyer Tom Dickey has revealed that he plans to plead not guilty to all charges.
Dickey also slammed New York officials, claiming he has seen "zero evidence" that the wealthy college grad is the shooter.
The alleged assassin was arrested on Monday after he was recognised at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania by a customer who has since been praised by Governor Josh Shapiro as a "hero."
He was searched by officers who found a fake ID, a "ghost gun" similar to the one seen in surveillance footage of the killing, a secret notebook, and a manifesto lambasting the healthcare industry.
On Wednesday, investigators revealed that fingerprints on a discarded water bottle found near the scene of the assassination matched those of Mangione, according to .
An examination of Magione's online activity running up to the shooting showed his rants about debilitating irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, and chronic back pain.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The health-focused posts on Reddit reveal a man who felt like his life had been stolen from him by his myriad of medical issues.
Mangione's history has come under scrutiny as people look for a motive to explain the shocking slaying caught on CCTV.
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